Disposable diapers have been in widespread use for many years. Typical generally rectangularly shaped prior art disposable diaper constructions are shown in Duncan et al U.S. Pat. No. Re. 26,151 and Mesek et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,612,055. It has also been known to provide shaped or contoured disposable diapers, such as an hourglass shape or a T-shape, and Buell U.S. Pat. No. 3,860,003 and Widland U.S. Pat. No. 3,768,479 are typical of such constructions.
In the more recent past, it has been proposed to provide disposable absorbent articles for incontinent adults. Not surprisingly, designers of disposable incontinent adult products have looked and generally followed the teachings of the disposable diaper art. For example, a typical prior art disposable adult incontinent product is shown in Strickland et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,461. Because of the anatomical differences between adults and infants, one cannot simply increase the dimensions of a baby diaper and expect the resulting product to function satisfactorily as an incontinent adult product.
While comfortable and inconspicuous fit and moisture containment are desirable in baby diapers, they are absolutely essential for a successful adult incontinent product. Unfortunately, adult incontinent products that are presently available are bulky, uncomfortable, noisy and provide inadequate protection against moisture leakage. As a result, there remains a need for an improved disposable product suitable for use by the large number of adults that have incontinence problems.